Toggle switch



June 18, 1957 Q MARTELL 2,796,486

TOGGLE SWITCH Filed Jan. 12, 1954 INVENTOR.

United States Patent ,0

TOGGLE SWITCH Charles E. Martel], Weymouth, Mass, assignor to Joseph Pollak Corporation, Dorchester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application January 12, 1954, Serial No.403,545

2 Claims. or. 200 m The present invention relates to a toggle switch which is constructed of a very small number of parts and which may be assembled without any special attachment or connection of the parts of the switch. Each element of the switch goes into place without soldering, crimping or any deforming of metal parts except in the attachment of the covering element which is brought down over the entire unit as a cover for the element contained therein. The toggle switch therefore is extremely simple in construction and is also durable to the extent that no parts can possibly get out of order or arrangement in the assembled construction.

The toggle switch will be more fully described in the specification as set forth below when taken in connection with the drawings illustrating an embodiment of the same, in which:

Figure 1 shows in perspective a base in which the toggle switch is mounted.

Figure 2 shows a section longitudinally through the center of the switch.

Figure 3 shows a section substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 shows a detail and slight modification of a portion of Figure 2, and,

Figure 5 shows diagrammatically different positions of the switch.

The base housing in which the toggle switch is mounted may be moulded out of Bakelite or other suitable material and is formed in the shape of a shell 2 with a top section 3, sides 4 and 5, a base element 6 and a back 7 so that the housing for the element is therefore only opened on one face 8 through which all of the parts are assembled.

The top section of the switch comprises the block section 3 with a central bearing section 9 which is rounded at its base 10 for the support of the shaft 11 which is positioned across the housing, see Figure 2. The shaft 11 carries the operating lever 12, which as shown in Figure 3 is at one side of the housing and operates in the section 13 between the limits defined by the inclined walls 14 and 15 which serve as steps for the operation of the handle and seals against dirt.

The shaft 11 carries in its center section, a pin or stud 16 which has an enlarged head 17 backed by a coil spring 18 which extends together with the pin 16 into a bore or recess 19 in a projection 19' at the lower end of the shaft 11. As indicated in Figure 4, a tube 50 capped at the end by a cap 52 with a spring 51 within the tube forcing the tube outwards from the recess 19, may be used in place of the construction shown in Figure 2. This provides a spring pressure against the contact or toggle plate 20 which is pivoted between the side plates 22, 22, of one of the connectors which will be presently described.

The toggle plate 20 is provided with two ears 21 at either side, which rest in the recessed sections 23 of the side plates so that the plate 20 may be tilted either at its top end or at its bottom end to make electric contact with the hollowed contact element 24 or the hollowed contact element 25'.

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It should be noted in this structure that the support of the contact plate 20 by the ears 21 in the curved recessed sections 23 of the side supports 22 provides two points of contact in the cars 21, one on either side of the center line of the contact plate. When the contact plate 20 is tipped to the left as shown in position A, Figure 5, and the spring tensioned pin is in the position A, the contacts are in equilibrium. When A is moved to a position C, nothing will occur as far as the contact arm 20 is con cerned, and the snap of the arm 20 to the dotted position B will not take place until the head of the pin has definitely come to a position as indicated at B This is because the point of contact of the ears 21 and the recesses are not at the center line but on either side and further because as indicated in Figure 5, the pin must move beyond the center line C of the pin before the contact arm can fly out from under to the other position B. The contact arm 20 only momentarily assumes the position shown in Figure 2 during normal operation.

The side arms 22 extend outward from the connecting base strip or plate 25 of which the hollowed boss element 24 is a part. The plate 25 is turned at right angles at 26 and made to extend through a groove 27 in the side of the base 2 between the elements 5 and 6.

On the outside of the base 6, the plate 25, which is the connecting plate, is bent inward along the base as indicated at 28 and then is provided with an outwardly extending connecting end 29 to which electric connections may be made. The contact element 25 is similarly formed with a channel 30 which is located in a groove 31 between the side wall 4 and the base 6 of the housing element forming the base of the switch and then it too, has a section 32 which hugs the base 6, and an outwardly extending connecting member 34 to which electrical contacts may be made. The element 25 is formed therefore with two side bases in which the toggle plate rests and with a base section which sets and rests in the insulating base of the switch.

The operating switch arm 12 is provided with a hub or shaft 11 as explained, by means of which the toggle arm may be turned from one side to the other side of the dead center point on the contact plate 20. This is effected by means of the coiled spring loaded pin with the enlarged head 17 which bears against the region of the center of the plate. A slight shift to one side or the other side of the central position will tip the arm 20 so as to make contact either with the contact element 25' or the contact element 24. Only a very small motion of the arm 12 is necessary for this purpose. The rocker or plate 20 is independent of the handle and cannot be hung in a dead center position because of its support on a curve or an inclined surface as indicated in Figures 4 and 5.

It will be seen from the description above that the assembly is readily accomplished by locating the elements in their proper positions in the switch without any other mechanical operation and all that is needed is a covering housing 60 for the whole assembly as shown in Figures 2 and 3, comprising an insulating plate 35 which is placed over one side of the housing with the edge of the insulating plate in contact with the shoulders 36, 36, and keyed by shoulders 37 covered by the housing 60. This assembly may then be secured in a cover whose open end is latched at the edge of the bottom 6 as indicated at 61. The handle 12 wil project through the cover and turn in the bearing of the shaft 11.

It will also be noted that the contact plate 20 is captive in position by the pin 16 and the ears 21 in the recess in the side supports and will normally remain this way unless 0 removed.

a slot formed in the end of one of the walls, a strip made of electrically conductive material extending from the inner surface of that wall to and through the slot and engaging the outer surface of that wall, a second slot formed in the other end of that wall, a second strip of electrically conductive material extending from the inner surface of that wall to and through the second slot and engaging the outer surface of that wall, a pair of flat and parallel supports extending into the central portion of the housing from the first strip and having recesses cut in their ends, a contact plate extending between the pair of supports and having cars which engage said recesses, said ears and recesses defining a pivotal axis forth'e plate, a shaft mounted in the housing and having a projection normal to the shaft and extending in the direction of the contact plate, pin means secured to said projection and having a spring holding the pin means in contact with the plate betweenthe supports, said pin means being mov-' able to opposite sides of the pivotal axis of the plate when the shaft is turned, and contacts forming part of each of the strips and positioned to engage the ends of the plate when the plate is actuated by turning of the shaft.

2. A toggle switch comprising Walls defining a housing,

--a pair of slots through one of the walls of the housing, a

pair of strips made of electrically conductive material,

each extending through one of the slots, said strips each having portions which engage the inner and outer surfaces of the said one of the walls and holding the strips in position, a pair of parallel supports extending from one of the strips to the central portion of the housing and having recesses formed in their ends, a contact plate extending between said supports and having cars which rest in the recesses, said ears and recesses cooperating to provide a pivotal axis for the plate, means spring-biased to engage said. plate and movable to each side of the pivotal axis for pivoting said plate about its pivotal axis, and contacts connected to each of the strips and disposed in the paths of travel of the end of the plate when the plate is pivoted about its pivotal axis.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS Scholin Oct. 16, 1951 

